Take a Trip Underground to Visit The Catacombs....and the Dead
Ranked #1,452 in Travel, #57,171 overall
The Catacombs - Underground Burial Grounds of the Dead
Far beneath the city streets of Paris lies the bone remains of more than 6 million people, in an elaborate labyrinth of passages, tunnels and corridors. It is a place of mystery, of intrigue, of history and of death.
One can easily get lost or disoriented when exploring the Parisian Catacombs and become one with the remains of those who are already there. It's a place that people visit to get scared--a perfect spooky location for a Halloween scare.
This lens explores the mysteries of the catacombs in Paris and Rome, the cataphiles and some of the more notable inhabitants and probable inhabitants.
You can also follow pictorial and virtual explorations of the Parisian catacombs. One of the videos features footage of filmed by a lost cataphile (catacomb explorer) who apparently has never been discovered.
Photo Source:
J.M. Schomburg. Kata Archways. Paris Catacombs - 20m under the wall of the Fermiers-Généraux. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
The Catacombs from Wikipedia
The original catacombs are a network of underground burial galleries beneath San Sebastiano fuori le mura, in Rome. The derivation of the word itself is disputed and it remains unclear if it ultimately derives from the cemetery itself or from the locality in which it is found.There is no doubt however that the San Sebastiano catacombs are the first to be referred to as such.
The word now refers to any network of caves, grottos, or subterranean place that is used for the burial of the dead, or it can refer to a specific underground burial place.
Source: Wikipedia. The Catacombs.
Photo Source:
Austin Evan. Paris Catacombs. Some Rights Reserved. Creative Commons.
Catacombs - Defined
Catacombs are a subterranean place, chamber or tunnels used for the burial of the dead.Catacombs is an underground cemetery, with tunnels and chambers with places for graves an underground tunnel. Many contained recesses where bodies were buried.
Photo Source: Graham and Sheila. Paris Catacombs. Some Rights Reserved. Creative Commons.
A Collection of Catacomb Images on Flickr
Catacombs from around the world.
A collection of photographs on various catacombs around the world.
Sections of this Catacomb Lens
- Catacombs in Paris
- Cataphiles - Lovers of Catacombs
- Catacombs in Rome
- Catacombs of Palermo
- Phantom of the Opera
- Gregorian Masters of Chant
- Skulls and Skeletons Decorating the Sedlec Ossuary
The Catacombs of Paris from Wikipedia
The Catacombs of Paris is a famous burial place in Paris, France. It is a network of subterranean tunnels and rooms located in what were Roman-era limestone quarries.The quarries were converted into a mass tomb near the end of the 18th century. It is home to more than six million Parisians for whom the Catacombs have become a final resting place.
It is most widely known as "the catacombs", but the official title is "les carrières de Paris" or "the quarries of Paris."
Though the official tour only passes through the quarries in the 14th arrondissement, there are actually quarries in the 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th arrondissements (the municipal boroughs of Paris).
Source: Wikipedia. Catacombs of Paris.
Image Source: Vlastimil Juricek. Wikipedia. Wikimedia. Catacombes de Paris. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
The Catacombs of Paris from 1998
On YouTube
More information on the Catacombs of Paris
- Paris Catacombs: Interesting Thing of the Day
- Beneath the streets of Paris lies a vast network of catacombs, containing the bones of an estimated six million former residents.
- Underground Paris
- Paris Underground, an online tour of the Catacombs of Paris.
- Paris's Suburban Underground - National Geographic Adventure Magazine
- Your underground guide to adventure travel in Paris and beyond from the National Geographic.
A Photographic Look at the Catacombs of Paris
Scott Fray
- The Catacombs of Paris
- A photographic look at the Catacombs of Paris. Double exposed film made for a happy accident in the case of these unretouched photographs taken in the miles of winding subterranean tunnels that lie under the streets of Paris.
Catacombs of Paris on Flickr
The land of the dead under the streets of Paris.
Images of the Catacombs of Paris
Available on Amazon
The Catacombs of Paris Items on CafePress
Skull Mousepad - The Catacombes, Paris
A photograph from the catacombes in Paris - one kilometre of tunnels filled with the bones of the dead.
Price: 10.99
Mug
Price: 12.99
Black T-Shirt
Price: 18.99
Tile Coaster
Price: 5.00
The Latest on the Catacombs in Paris
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byThe Catacombs of Paris on YouTube
More from the Parisian Catacombs on CafePress
Paris Ash Grey T-Shirt
The Empire of the Dead
Price: 15.99
Paris Women's T-Shirt
The Empire of the Dead
Price: 15.99
Paris Organic Cotton Tee
The Empire of the Dead
Price: 20.99
Paris Mug
The Empire of the Dead
Price: 11.99
Define - Cataphiles
The underground quarries in Paris have been off limits since 1955, so the cataphiles must find other ways of accessing the catacombs.
Video Footage from a Lost Cataphile in the Catacombs of Paris and the Documentary of Trying to Find Him/Her
On YouTube
Watch as this documentary tries to trace the cataphile's final steps. The video gives you a good feeling of what it is like to be inside, exploring the catacombs. (I actually felt a bit claustrophobic just watching the video.)
P.S. I *did* wait until day light hours to watch this and it wasn't as scary as I thought it might be, just very eerie.
Cataphiles - Catacomb Explorers
- LETTER FROM PARIS: Cataphiles beneath the city
- LETTER FROM PARIS: Cataphiles beneath the city: a genuinely Independent on Sunday, The, Feb 15, 2004 by Caroline Archer. Provided free by LookSmart Find Articles.
- Underground activities - Shanghai Star
- Deep beneath the streets of Paris, police are playing a game of cat and mouse with a band of explorers who have turned the city's underground tunnels and chambers into their personal playground.
- In a secret Paris cavern, the real underground cinema
- An article from The Guardian / Guardian Unlimited about a 2004 Catacomb discovery--a fully equipped cinema-cum-restaurant in a large and previously uncharted cavern underneath Paris.
Books on Cataphiles on Amazon
Skulls and Skeletons: Human Bone Collections and Accumulations
Amazon Price: (as of 11/30/2009)
Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light
Amazon Price: $12.89 (as of 11/30/2009)
Beneath the Metropolis: The Secret Lives of Cities
Amazon Price: (as of 11/30/2009)
Quote from Paris: Journey Into the City of Light
Cataphiles - Catacomb Explorers
Parisian cave mavericks are know as cataphiles -- lovers of catacombs. Because the quarries have been off limits since 1955, "les cataphiles" are pursued in an endless game of cat-and-rat by a special police squad, the Brigade de Dispersion et d'Intervention en Carriere, whose members are nicknamed cataflics - catacomb cops.Decked out in survival gear, cataphiles will do just about anything go get into the intestine-like quarry passages and chamber 100 feet or more below the city's surface.
They throw drug parties, conduct spooky chthonic rites, play at Phantom of the Oopera, or Jen Valjean escaping the gendarmes.
Whenever bones have fallen into the light-less tunnels from the cemeteries above -- at Pere-Lachaise or Montparnasse, for instance -- hard core cataphiels crawl undaunted over mounds of mouldernig skeletons. Skulls are favorite trophies.
Source:
Downie David. Paris, Paris: Journey Into the City of Light. Transatlantic Press. 2005. Paris, Paris: Journey Into the City of Light can be read online at books.google.com.
Photo Source: Neil Sanchala. Paris 162. Some Rights Reserved. Creative Commons.
Skulls Available on Amazon
A collection of skull decorations, an easier catacomb trophy. Grab your favorite decoration and be sure to vote for your favorite.
3
Calavera (Skull) Eraser - Day Of The Dead
Kikkerland has scoured the globe and worked with t more...0 points
5
Giant Skull Silver Finish (VB20S)
Giant skull with silver finish is also available i more...0 points
9
Calavera (Skull) Cuff Links - Day Of The Dead
Kikkerland has scoured the globe and worked with t more...0 points
10
Skull - Stash Box - Secret Storage
Looks like this skull had a labotomy. But really, more...0 points
Catacombs of Rome from Wikipedia
The Catacombs of Rome are ancient Jewish and Christian underground burial places near Rome, Italy.Etruscans used to bury their dead in underground chambers. Christians revived the practice because they did not want to cremate their dead due to their belief in bodily resurrection.
Hence they began to bury their dead, first in simple graves and sometimes in burial vaults of pro-Christian patricians.
The first large-scale catacombs were excavated from the 2nd century onwards. Originally they were carved through soft rock outside the boundaries of the city, because Roman law forbade burial places within city limits. At first they were used both for burial and the memorial services and celebrations of the anniversaries of Christian martyrs (following similar Roman customs). They probably were not used for regular worship.
Many modern depictions of the catacombs show them as hiding places for Christian populations during times of persecution. This is unlikely, however, since the large numbers of decaying corpses would have made the air nearly (if not completely) toxic. Additionally, the general locations of the catacombs were known to the Roman officials, making them a poor choice for a secret hiding place.
Source: Wikipedia. Catacombs of Rome.
Photo Source: Malleson, Hope & Tuker, M.A.R.: "Rome" (1905) A Procession in the Catacomb of Callistus. Public Domain.
The Catacombs of Rome on YouTube
This one has tens of thousands of bodies interred in it's time. All the half arches you see in this video held a body or two (or more); the tiny spaces held children.
Our Perillo Tours Familia walked single file down these narrow corridors.
The Christian Catacombs of Rome
- THE CHRISTIAN CATACOMBS OF ROME
- The Christian Catacombs of Rome: outline, history, importance as historical evidence of the life and martyrdom of the early Church. This site is intended for people who wish to deepen their knowledge of the Christian Catacombs of Rome and of the Church history in its origins. The site provides exten
A Squidoo Lens on the Catacombs of Rome
-
The Catacombs
-
It has often been said that to genuinely study history, a person will become Catholic. The Catacombs of Rome are just such a study. Many people who have been raised to scorn images of Jesus as against scripture are stunned to see them pai...
The Latest on the Catacombs in Rome
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byCurious to know more about the Catacombs?
Catacomb Books Available on Amazon
Subterranean Rome: Catacombs, Baths, Temples (Art & Architecture)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/30/2009)
Christian Rome: Past and Present: Early Christian Rome Catacombs and Basilicas
Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 11/30/2009)
The Beauty of the Cross: The Passion of Christ in Theology and the Arts from the Catacombs to the Eve of the Renaissance
Amazon Price: $45.00 (as of 11/30/2009)
Catacombs: Rediscovered Monuments of Early Christianity (Ancient Peoples and Places)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/30/2009)
The Christian Catacombs of Rome: History, Decoration, Inscriptions
Amazon Price: (as of 11/30/2009)
Catacomb of Rome Items Available on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo from Wikipedia
The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo (also Catacombe dei Cappuccini or Catacombs of the Capuchins) are burial catacombs in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. Today they provide a somewhat macabre tourist attraction as well as an extraordinary historical record.
Palermo's Capuchin monastery outgrew its original cemetery in the 16th century and monks began to excavate crypts below it. In 1599 they mummified one of their number, recently-dead brother Silvestro of Gubbio, and placed him into the catacombs.
The bodies were dehydrated on the racks of ceramic pipes in the catacombs and sometimes later washed with vinegar. Some of the bodies were embalmed and others enclosed in sealed glass cabinets. Monks were preserved with their everyday clothing and sometimes with ropes they had worn as a penance.
Originally the catacombs were intended only for the dead friars.
However, in the following centuries it became a...
More on the Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo
- King's Capuchins' Catacombs Corpses of Palermo
- Information on the Capuchin's Catacombs in Palermo Italy.
- Mummies in the catacombs of Palermo
- From Reportage an article on Dressed for eternity about the Cappucin catacombs in Palermo. To view the images click on the 'view images' at the bottom of the page.
- Mummies in the catacombs of Palermo
- An article from Reportage. This is the text of the article.
- Catacombs of the Capuchins, Palermo
- Information on The Catacombe Cappuccini in Palermo, Italy. Note that this page is described as being "not for the fainthearted." (Images of mummified people are within the second screen page.)
The Catacomb of Palermo Items on Amazon
More on the Catacombs of Palermo and Mummies
Available on Amazon
The Phantom of the Opera
The Paris Catacombs Famous Inhabitant
The Phantom of the Opera may be one of the most famous inhabitants of the catacombs. Many of the scenes in the book, play and the movie occur underground, in the catacombs.
Phantom of the Opera - The Unmasking
On YouTube
A Squidboo Lens on the Original Phantom of the Opera
-
The Original Phantom of the Opera
-
The Phantom of the Opera, Erik, is the main character in Gaston Leroux's 1909 book by the same title. This musical genius lives beneath the Paris Opera house in the catacombs masking his face because of a physical deformity. In 1925, the Phantom of...
-
The Phantom of The Opera
-
The Phantom of the Opera began as a novel written by Gastron Leroux in 1909. In the novel we are introduced to the character Erik, or the Phantom of the Opera, a horribly deformed musical genius also known as the "Opera Ghost." Over the yea...
Music of the Catacombs - Gregorian Chanting
- * The Parisian Catacombs are originally located in limestone quarries from the Roman Era.
* The First Roman Catacombs were were excavated from the 2nd century onwards.
* The Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo started in the 16th century by monks when the monastery outgrew its original cemetery and crypts were excavated below the monastery.
I have included some information on the Gregorian and on Gregorian Chants.
Gregorians - Masters of Chant
Gregorian Masters of Chant is a German male choir who sing medieval-inspired, re-interpreted pop and rock music. Frank Peterson is the mastermind behind the group's unique, haunting and moving sound.Gregorian's style is a blend of modern pop and rock songs re-interpreted in the Gregorian Masters of Chant style. The group has brought the plainsong* or plainchant style of singing into a modern setting, delighting audiences that span the generations.
Gregorian Masters of Chant dress in medieval monk-styles robes and records their music accompanied by an orchestra in old churches converted into recording studios. Their live concerts have been performed in old castles.
Image Source: Gregorian Master of Chant. Downloads.
Gregorian - Masters of Chant on YouTube
Squidoo Lenses on Gregorian Masters of Chant and Gregorian Chant
Learn more about this group that is resurrecting a medieval musical style.-
Gregorian Chant Video Showcase
-
Something is so serene and spiritual about Gregorian Chant. The Latin prayers of the Psalter, it is the traditional Latin Liturgy especially of monasteries. Far older than any Protestant denomination, the Gregorian Chanting is bringing people ba...
-
Gregorian Video Showcase
-
Gregorian Masters of Chant is a German group, band or more appropriately a male choir who sing medieval-inspired re-interpreted pop and rock music. Gregorian has brought the plainsong* or plainchant style of singing into a modern setting, delighting...
Gregorian Masters of Chant - Websites
- Gregorian Masters of Chant - History
- Gregorian chant, monophonic, or unison, Latin choral music, as used in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. It is named after St. Gregory I the Great, pope from 590-604, who is said to have collected and codified the music of the Roman liturgy around the year 600.
- GREGORIAN - Masters Of Chant Chapter VI
- Das neue Album von Gregorian - Christmas Chants, The new album by Gregorian - Christmas Chants
- GREGORIAN - Masters Of Chant Chapter VI
- More about the process used to select their music.
- News of the Gregorian music website
- http://www.gregorian-music.com/gregorian/en/english.php
Masters of Chant Albums
Available on Amazon
A Collection of Chant Songs
From a variety of artists.
Salve Regina: Gregorian Chant
Recordings by Gregorian Chant and Benedictine Monk more...0 points
Sedlec Ossuary - Decorating with Skeletons
The Sedlec Ossuary is a small Roman Catholic chapel, located beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints in Sedlec, a suburb of Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic.The ossuary contains approximately 40,000 human skeletons which have been artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel.
Source: Wikipedia. Sedlec Ossuary.
Photo Source: Wikipedia. Wikimedia. Daniel Wabyick. Bone Chandelabra.
Some Rights Reserved. Creative Commons Attribution 2.0.
Ossuary - Defined
It is frequently a building below ground level, usually an annex to a tomb, for the storage of human bones moved out of the tomb to make room for fresh interments.
More about the Ossuary Chapel of All Saints in Sedlec
In 1870, an effort was made to increase the space necessary to allow others to be buried on this property. The skulls and bones of forty thousand people were used to decorate a small chapel built on the site in the fourteenth century.
Mark Elbroch
Animal Skulls: A Guide to North American Species
Skulls and Skeletons Decorating the Sedlec Ossuary on YouTube
More on the Sedlec Ossuary from the Travel Guides
Available on Amazon
A Squidoo Featured Lens on Skulls and Skeletons
Others lenses that look at the role of skeletons and skulls with La Danse Macabre (Dancing Skeletons) and Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead), where skeletons and skulls are prominently featured decorations.-
Dem Dancing Skeleton Bones
-
Skeletons have been a symbol of death at least since the Middle Ages when they were portrayed as the Grim Reaper. Dancing skeletons are featured as participants in La Danse Macabre or the dance of death and as such skeletons have become objects of fe...
-
Dia de los Muertos - Day of the Dead
-
Although occurring around the same time of the year as Halloween, Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, is a very different holiday. Dia de los Muertos is celebrated in many Latin American countries with a different focus. This festival...
Reader Feedback on the Catacomb Lens
Your place for feedback, thoughts, stories and suggestions
Have you been to any of the Catacombs or Bone decorated Locations?
Would you want to?
-
Reply
- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen Aug 3, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
- I've been in the catacombs in Rome, (it was years ago) but I've never been to Paris. Someday...
Great lens.
Lizzy
-
Reply
- ebizsalez ebizsalez Nov 1, 2007 @ 9:55 am
- very intersting lens. Maybe we should have a catacomb in the US. Where do you think it should be appropriate?
from fellow lens: bigsaveontravel
-
Reply
- irishlass irishlass Oct 24, 2007 @ 8:09 am
- amazing
-
Reply
- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Oct 21, 2007 @ 1:16 pm
- Beautifully done! I've been to the catacombs in Rome and would love to see the ones in Paris someday.
-
Reply
- blondeheroine blondeheroine Oct 21, 2007 @ 3:18 am
- This lens is amazing!! I always associate the catacombs with Phantom, but this adds a whole new level of creepy. I've favorited it so I can go back and watch the videos when it isn't dark. Eeek!
-
Reply
- Arizona-Snow Arizona-Snow Oct 20, 2007 @ 8:49 pm
- Wow! Yet another great lens from an excellent lensmaster! 5*!
- Load More
If you buy something from this page...
...you will be making a donation to GlobalGiving, an online marketplace connecting people with world-changing projects to people who can support them as a way to unleash the potential of people around the world to make positive changes. by Comfortdoc
Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is a respected physician, an expert in life challenges, loss, grief & bereavement, professional health educator, profess...
(more)Explore related pages
Ghost in Virginia- Love a good ghost story? Every area has interesting stories of the supernatural....
Phookas- Phookas are evil creatures from the Realms of Fae. What is a Phooka? Why s...
Halloween Tees- Halloween is coming!!! These great shirts are perfect for kids, adults, fri...
The Original Phantom of the Opera- The Phantom of the Opera, Erik, is the main character in Gaston Leroux's 1909 bo...
The Phantom of The Opera- The Phantom of the Opera began as a novel written by Gastron Leroux in 1909. In...
Dem Dancing Skeleton Bones- Skeletons have been a symbol of death at least since the Middle Ages when they w...
